W I N T E R 2 0 1 5 N E W S L E T T E R

Early 19th century sea-serpent Grecian sofa, similar to one at The White House, in the Classical American Homes Preservation Trust collection at the George F. Baker House, New York City.

(See article by Peter Kenny below)

Hello Winter!Welcome Peter Kenny!We here at Classical American Homes are excitedfor a truly historic 2015! This year we welcomePeter Kenny as Co-President of CAHPT. Peter is a30-year veteran of The Met, most recently servingas Curator of American Decorative Arts andAdministrator of the American Wing. Click here toread more about Peter. We are once again planning for an exciting year

Peter Kenny, new CAHPT Co-President, at the Winter Antiques Show.

Margaret Pritchard, CWF Curator of Prints, Mapsand Wallpaper; John Metcalf, Tom Savage,

Winterthur Director of Museum Affairs; MargizeHowell, CAHPT Co-President; and Ralph Harvard.

filled with tours and events, but are gearing upfor a special celebration in the spring when wecelebrate Ayr Mount's Bicentennial (see belowin Upcoming Events)! We know 2015 will be filledwith learning and enrichment, celebration andsurprise, and we can't wait for you to join us forall that's to come.

AMERICANA WEEKAND MOREGeorge F. Baker HousesNew York, NY Although 2015 got off to a snowy start,we have been busy making arrangementsfor a full year of tours and events, withexciting milestones and visits from newand old friends to look forward to thisyear. On January 20th, we welcomed to theGeorge F. Baker House friends and guestsfrom three influential museums - TheTheColonial Will iamsburg FoundationColonial Will iamsburg Foundation,the Museum of Early SouthernMuseum of Early SouthernDecorative Arts (MESDA)Decorative Arts (MESDA) andWinterthur Museum and Gardens Winterthur Museum and Gardens - fora cocktail reception celebrating AmericanaWeek and the 61st Annual Winter AntiquesShow in New York City. The bitter coldweather once again did not prevent usfrom a night filled with spectacularcompany, laughs, and good cheer. Also during Americana Week, highlights included the 2015 Eric M. Wunsch Award forEric M. Wunsch Award forExcellence in the American ArtsExcellence in the American Arts hosted at Christie's and, of course, the WinterWinterAntiques ShowAntiques Show at the Park Avenue Armory. See below for pictures and more informationfrom both of these events.

Dick Jenrette, Chairman ofCAHPT, and Ragan Folan,

President of Old SalemMuseum and Gardens.

Mitchell Reiss, President andCEO of Colonial Williamsburg

Foundation (CWF).

Colin Campbell, former CWFPresident, and David Roselle,

Director of WinterthurMuseum, Garden & Library.

Coley Townsend and Margaret Pritchard. Pemmie Frick, Greg Sullivan, Dick Jenrette, andLisa Moore.

Leo Bretter, Morrie Heckscher, and RobFroelich.

Dick Jenrette, Linda Wells and JeffNuechterlein, CAHPT Board Director.

Peter Wunsch presenting the award namedafter his father, Martin Wunsch.

Wilson Pace, MESDA Development Office; RobertLeath, MESDA Chief Curator; and Laura Barry,

CWF Curator of Paintings, Drawings andSculpture.

Jack Smith, CAHPT Executive Vice-President of Operations.

Margize Howell and Dick Jenrette welcomingeveryone to the Baker House.

Peter Kenny, a long-time curator at theMetropolitan Museum of Art, has recently

joined the team at CAHPT as Co-President.

As mentioned, one of the highlights of AmericanaWeek was the third annual Eric M. WunschEric M. WunschAward for Excellence in the American ArtsAward for Excellence in the American Arts ,hosted by Christie's the next evening on January21st. This year the award honored ArnoldArnoldLehmanLehman, the Director of the Brooklyn MuseumBrooklyn Museum,and The Chipstone FoundationThe Chipstone Foundation. Dick Jenretteand Classical American Homes, along with LindaKaufman, were very fortunate to be the recipientsof the award last year. Since 1997, Arnold Lehman has served as theShelby White and Leon Levy Director of theBrooklyn MuseumBrooklyn Museum. Under his leadership, he hasprioritized both the individual visitor's experience and the community's engagement withthe Museum through the presentation of innovative exhibitions and reinstallation of thepermanent collection. Mr. Lehman, praised as a visionary in the museum world, hasrecently announced his plans to retire in June, after 18 years as director of the

Museum. Visit the Brooklyn Museum's website for more information. The Chipstone FoundationThe Chipstone Foundation promotes and enhances the appreciation and knowledge ofAmerican material culture (emphasizing the decorative arts) by scholars, students and thegeneral public. Through exhibitions, digital projects, teaching opportunities as well as thestudy and preservation of their collection, the Chipstone Foundation encourages newresearch questions and topics centered around a "living" collection of fine early Americanfurniture, historical prints and early ceramics. Go to Chipstone.org to explore the range ofprograms, publications and offerings.

Terry Carbone, Curator of AmericanArt at the Brooklyn Museum; Arnold

Lehman, Director of the BrooklynMuseum; and Peter Wunsch.

Beth Wees, MMA Curator ofAmerican Decorative Arts, and Jon

Prown, Executive Director andChief Curator at Chipstone

Foundation.

Linda Kaufman, last year's Wunsch Awardrecipient with Dick Jenrette and CAHPT, and

Nonnie Frelinghuysen, MMA Curator ofAmerican Decorative Arts.

Peter Kenny, Jim Freeman, and Alan Miller.

The 61st Annual Winter Antiques ShowWinter Antiques Show washeld January 23 - February 1, 2015 in New YorkCity. Featuring the "best of the best" fromantiquities through the 1960s, the show consistsof a loan exhibition, a Young Collectors Night,lectures, book signings, and 73 exhibitors (one-third who are specialists in Americana). Thisyear's loan exhibition Ahead of the Curve: The

Bidder number 999 at Christie's!

Newark Museum 1909-2015 showcasedexceptional pieces from the Newark MuseumNewark Museum inNew Jersey. The Museum is celebrating it's 106thanniversary this year.

Here are some pictures from the Opening Night ofthe Winter Antiques Show:

Dick Jenrette and EulaJohnson, Winter Antiques ShowCoordinator for the East Side

House Settlement.

Carswell Berlin presents aunique Duncan Phyfe cellarette

c. 1815, New York.

Carved Lion's head detail fromPhyfe cellarette (see image at

left).

Susan Stein, Senior Curator &Vice-President of MuseumPrograms at the Thomas

Jefferson's Monticello in front

Arie Kopelman, Co-Chair ofthe Winter Antiques Show, and

Dick Jenrette, Chairman ofCAHPT.

Arthur Liverant from NathanLiverant and Son Antiques

showing chalk mark onNewport lowboy.

Carol Large, Chairman of theBoard of Old Westbury

Gardens.

of a Bertoia screen.

We ended the busy Americana week by welcoming to the Baker House members from theMuseum of Fine Arts BostonMuseum of Fine Arts Boston and Historic New EnglandHistoric New England for a tour led by Mr. Jenrette,who was in the city briefly before departing for Cane Garden.

The Society for the Preservation of Long Is land Antiquities (SPLIA)The Society for the Preservation of Long Is land Antiquities (SPLIA) braved adismal weather report and came to the George F. Baker House from Long Island for acocktail reception. Their members enjoyed an evening tour of the house and a fun-filledcocktail reception. Interestingly enough, three members in attendance are great-granddaughters of George Fisher Baker: Asia Baker Stokes, Joanna Baker de Neufville, andSamantha Boardman Rosen. We were thrilled and intrigued as they shared family storiesabout their fathers and grandfather in this very fitting setting - and especially Joanna, asshe grew up at 69 East 93rd Street.

Samantha Boardman Rosenand Asia Baker Stokes, great-granddaughters of George F.

Baker.

Asia Baker Stokes and JoannaBaker de Neufville, great-

granddaughters of George F.Baker.

(Left to right) Peter Schiff, descendant of George F.Baker; Alexandra Wolfe, Director of SPLIA; and Lisa

Schiff.

Shortly before Christmas, we hosted two separate events: a visit for Committee Members ofthe Garden ConservancyGarden Conservancy and the Annual General Meeting of The American Friends ofThe American Friends ofthe Georgian Group, the Georgian Group, with a fascinating lecture on Georgian follies by Charlottesvillearchitect, Madison Spencer.

From the Garden Conservancy: KevinSharkey, Susan Burke, and Martha

Stewart.

Pete McGee; Jenny DuPont, Presidentand CEO of the Garden Conservancy;

Maureen Donnell; Ben Lenhardt.

A warm fire to welcome TheAmerican Friends of the

Georgian Group in December.

Madison Spencer, architectand distinguished speaker,

discussing the topic of creativeand extravagant examples of

18th century Georgianarchitecture.

An example of "GeorgianExtravagance, GeorgianWhimsy" from Madison

Spencer's lecture.

Members of the Blue and Gray EducationBlue and Gray EducationSocietySociety visited Millford Plantation as part of a tourthat followed the footsteps of General Edward E.Potter (a relative of Nathaniel Potter, the architect whobuilt Millford Plantation for John Laurence and SusanHampton Manning). We look forward to welcoming old and new friends

Amie James (center), CAHPT BoardDirector, with friends Jill Donoghue

(left), from the Institute of Internationaland European Affairs, and wife of UNRepresentative of Ireland; and Anna

van Oosterom (right), wife of UNRepresentative of Netherlands, recently

touring the George F. Baker House.

Scrolled, sea-serpent ends on this early 19thcentury Grecian sofa.

and supporters to each of our properties this year. It'snot too early to begin planning a spring adventurewith us to experience first-hand the manyadventures with old housesadventures with old houses that CAHPT offers. If you have a group who would like to visit any of ourproperties, please visit ourwebsite, www.classicalamericanhomes.org to submityour tour request.

Sculptural Masterpiece, Mythical TerrorBy Peter Kenny

With its writhing, scrolled, sea-serpent endsthis richly carved Grecian sofa is one of themost dynamic furniture forms made in earlynineteenth century America. Presented to theClassical American Homes Preservation Trustby Richard Hampton Jenrette in 2013, thissofa now stands in the foyer of the George F.Baker townhouse in New York, welcoming,perhaps on occasion frightening, thenumerous guests who attend our Trustprograms and receptions there. Fourteen sculptural sofas of this type areknown, including examples in the collectionsof the White House and the MetropolitanMuseum of Art. The majority of these haverelatively benign, blunt-nosed, sea creatureson the ends, a feature that has earned themthe name "dolphin sofas". However, two ofthe fourteen, including the CAHPT example,feature more fearsome creatures with gaping

(Fig. 1) Herakles fights the Ketos. Caeretanhydria, ca. 520-510 B.C. from Stavros S.

Niarchos collection, Athens, Greece.

(Fig. 2) Perseus and Andromeda, oil oncanvas, by Titian, ca. 1554-1556 from the

Wallace Collection, London

jaws full of jagged teeth, a far cry from themythical dolphins of classical antiquity that were believed to be talismans who buoyedshipwrecked sailors to safety. The more fearsome creature was known as the ketos, amonster that both fascinated and terrified the ancients.

The ketos figures prominently in Greek mythologyin the stories of Herakles and Hesione (fig. 1) andPerseus and Andromeda (fig. 2). Both of thesemyths center on the story of a man who hasangered the gods and is then forced to pay theterrible price of having to offer his daughter as anappeasement to a vengeful Poseidon--who sendsthe ketos to devour her. Luckily, Herakles andPerseus arrive just in the nick of time to save thedamsels, slaying the ketos with their scythe-likehooked knives. A three-dimensional, sculptural ketos on a sofasuch as the CAHPT example would easily haveconjured these ancient mythological tales in themind of a sophisticated, classically-educatedclient around 1820, when this sofa was made inNew York. By this date, a new, richly ornamented Grecian style - an amalgam of FrenchEmpire and late English Regency design - had become all the rage there. In the vanguard of this newstyle were New York's pre-eminent cabinetmakers of the day, Charles-Honoré Lannuier(1779-1819) and Duncan Phyfe (1770-1854),whose signature winged caryatid and griffin cardand pier tables graced the parlors of elite clientsfrom New York to the coastal American South andeven into the Caribbean. Neither of these greatmaster cabinetmakers, however, seem to havebeen involved in the production of these highlydistinctive dolphin and ketos sofas, leaving theirauthorship, at least for the present, a mystery ofthe deep.

Profile: David CrowtherSite Supervisor, Cane GardenSt. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands This newsletter's "CAHPT profile" will focus on

The Crowther Family

David Crowther, site supervisor at Estate CaneGarden in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. David hasbeen managing the Cane Garden property since1994, when he began working for RichardJenrette. Estate Cane Garden is idyllically set on a high hill- some 90 feet above sea level - overlooking 300verdant acres and the turquoise-blue of theCaribbean, on the south shore of St. Croix.Originally owned by Count DuVal of France andlater used as a monastery, it was then acquiredand owned by the Christopher McEvoy family forseveral generations. The McEvoys were Scotch-Irish planters who obtained Danish citizenshipand became wealthy from the production of sugarcane. The hundreds of acres of sugar canesurrounding the house on the hill gave it thename "Cane Garden." In search of an on-site caretaker for Cane Gardenin 1994, Mr. Jenrette received a recommendation from David's brother, Bill, who had beensuccessfully managing Ayr Mount for ten years. Mr. Jenrette hoped to duplicate thatsuccess and hired David Crowther. David then moved to St. Croix with his wife, Dulcie, andtook on the responsibility of overseeing and maintaining Cane Garden, which is a privateresidence of Dick Jenrette to be given to CAHPT at a later date.

Aerial view of Estate Cane Garden, St. Croix, USVI.

Originally from Berwick, Maine, David grew up in a large family with five sisters and threebrothers. After high school, David opted to work and extensively travel the United States.Along the way, David picked up scuba diving and eventually began working in thecommercial diving field. David's task of maintaining and preserving Estate Cane GardenEstate Cane Garden involves many diversetasks and unique challenges. With the house's location on a high hill overlooking theCaribbean Sea, weather and the elements present the need for constant upkeep of thehouse and grounds. David has also shepherded the property through many hurricanes overthe years, some of which have proven quite destructive. He credits the great house withbeing resilient and sound during storms, while the carefully manicured lawns and gardens

Another racer crosses the finish line!

usually sustain heavy damage. David is also keenly interested in the house's history andcollection of island mahogany furniture and, along with Dulcie, acts as docent for tours ofCane Garden.

David and Dulcie have been married for 17 years and have two sons: Wylie, age 14, andCooper, age 12. In his spare time, David enjoys recreational diving and snorkeling, and isan avid surfer, following the best breaks around St. Croix. He also plays guitar and is asinger/songwriter with friends in a local band, affectionately known as "Dick's Garage" . Planning a trip to the Caribbean? Schedule a tour for your group, and go see the beautifulwork David does to keep Cane Garden in tip-top shape!

A Scenic Relay Run at Ayr Mount'sHistoric Occoneechee Speedway Trail (HOST)Hillsborough, NC On January 25th, Bull City Running Co. in Durham, NCsponsored a relay at the original and only survivingNASCAR dirt track, known today as the HistoricOcconeechee Speedway Trail (HOST), which is part ofthe nearly 300 acres owned by CAHPT and adjacent toAyr Mount, the 1815 historic house. Over 200 runnersand viewers came out on a sunny day to benefitClassical American Homes' ongoing efforts toconnect HOST and Ayr Mount with the rest of theMountains-to-Sea Trail. Teams with names like the Road Warriors, the GreyHares, Shake n' Bake, Skid Marks, and Lady Lightningcame out from the Triangle area and out-of-state torun 20 laps around the track, making their total distance covered roughly 13.5 miles.

Relay team #33 from Durham, NC. Teams passing the baton with a crowd eagerlywatching.

It was a fun-filled opportunity to be outdoors with family and friends, run around ahistoric track, and benefit a wonderful cause! If you are interested, in April the Boy ScoutTroop 328 is scheduled to have another 5K run.

Dick Jenrette receiving the Albert SimonsMedal of Excellence from Valerie Morris,

Dean of the College of Charleston School ofthe Arts.

For more information about Ayr Mount's Hours and Directions, cl ick here.For more information about Ayr Mount's Hours and Directions, cl ick here.

(All photos courtesy of Bull City Running Co.)

Richard Hampton JenretteReceives the Simons AwardCharleston, SC

On Thursday, November 6th, Richard H. Jenrettewas awarded The Albert Simons Medal ofExcellence for his dedicated work in historicpreservation. Thomas Gordon Smith, Professor ofArchitecture at The University of Notre Dame,was also awarded the Simons Award foroutstanding work in design and education. The Albert Simons Medal honors individuals whohave excelled in one or more of the followingareas: civic design, architectural design, historicpreservation, and urban planning. The award waspresented by the Historic Preservation andCommunity Planning Program of the College ofCharleston School of the Arts. Prior recipients ofthe Simons Medal include: His Royal HighnessPrince Charles - The Prince of Wales, MayorJoseph P. Riley, John D. Milner, Andres Duany,Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, and Allan Greenberg.

Albert Simons, Dick Jenrette, and ThomasGordon Smith.

Sallie and Charlie Duell, CAHPT Board Directorand President of Middleton Place, with Dick

Jenrette.

Click here to read The Post and Courier article on Dick Jenrette receiving the award,"Richard Jenrette leaving a rich legacy of old houses and new museums."

UPCOMING EVENTS - Save these Dates on yourCalendar!

Peter Kenny at the WinterthurFurniture ForumFriday, March 6thWinterthur, DE

The Winterthur Furniture Forum will take place on March 4-7,2015 with a series of lectures, tours and workshops focusingon the theme From New Netherland to Empire State: New YorkFurniture. Peter Kenny, Co-President at CAHPT, will bespeaking on Friday, March 6th on "Line and Berry Inlay in aDutchman's 'Schrutoor': The Tale of a Remarkable Fall-FrontWriting Desk from Western Long Island."

Please click on the image (at right)click on the image (at right) to see a PDF versionof the Furniture Forum Schedule as well as registrationinformation.

A Dinner to Celebrate Ayr Mount's 200thAnniversarySaturday, May 2nd 5:30 PM cocktails / 7:00 PM DinnerHillsborough, NC

Ayr Mount, built in 1815, located along the Eno River in Hillsborough, NC.

Mark your calendars!Mark your calendars! Richard Hampton Jenrette and Classical American HomesPreservation Trust cordially invite you to a benefit for Ayr Mount on Saturday, May 2nd, tocelebrate its Bicentennial. Come tour the house and stroll the grounds, enjoy drinks and adinner at this exceptional historic house. Please come help us celebrate Ayr Mount's 200thBirthday!

More details to come, please check our websitecheck our website for updates or contact our office at (212)

Amy Schwartz Moretti, on violin, to join RobertdeMaine, on cello, and Dr. James Wilhelmsen,

on piano, at Millford.

369-4460.

Music at Millford Sunday, September 13thMillford, Pinewood, SC

We are delighted to announce the fourth annualMusic at Millford on Sunday afternoon,September 13, 2015.

Last year's sold-out performance is a testamentto the virtuosos featured in this program.Robert deMaine, Principal Cello of the LosAngeles Philharmonic, and James Wilhelmsenon piano, are returning to Millford for an encoreperformance joined by Amy Schwartz Moretti,Director of the McDuffie Center for Strings, onviolin. This collaboration is sure to be aphenomenal musical experience at one of thefinest examples of Greek Revival architecture inthe country.

Click here for information about MillfordClick here for information about Millford.And, stay tuned for more information aboutthis event.

Your Discerning Eye... Can You Spot the Difference?(Hint, there are ten....)The Library at the George F. Baker House, New York City

What's different about the bottom image: 1. Portrait of George F. Baker by Frank Owen Salisbury replaced with portrait of George

Washington by Charles Peale.2. Bust of Daniel Webster swapped for small bust of Benjamin Franklin.3. Flowers on desk replaced with red leather case and the flowers moved to the coffee table.4. Telephone has been removed from desk.5. Federal sidechair swapped with Federal armchair.6. Stuffed rabbit appeared on Chippendale-style stool by the window.7. French Porcelain de Paris urn swapped for English Barr, Flight & Barr porcelain vase.8. Armchairs beside sofa swapped.

9. Red and gold tasseled pillows on sofa replaced with floral needlepoint pillows.10. Polka-dots added to curtains. Learn more about the George F. Baker House.Learn more about the George F. Baker House.

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